How to Host an Amazing Outdoor Thanksgiving

Make all of your guests very thankful by following these tips

If you think about Thanksgiving, you probably imagine friends and family gathered around a table eating turkey, stuffing, and other staples of the holiday. And, almost certainly, you picture this in a dining room or other area in a house. But who says Thanksgiving has to be celebrated inside?

In fact, for large get-togethers, it probably makes more sense to venture outside instead of trying to cram everybody into one room. Plus, going outside allows you to enjoy the wonderful weather we have in South Florida this time of year. If you’re the Thanksgiving host and want to mix things up, here are some tips:

Pick the right place

If you have a sizable deck or patio, you already have an excellent spot for your outdoor feast. If you don’t have either or what you have won’t be able to accommodate everybody, just putting a long table (or ping-pong table, à la the Peanuts) on your lawn will also get the job done.

Clean and neaten things up

Unless you’re extremely diligent about your yard, it probably could use some work. Take a look at your landscaping and mow, trim, weed, or do any other necessary tasks. If your yard has become something of a storage area for toys, old lawn furniture, or other items, you’ll want to get rid of the clutter before your guests arrive.

Think about your timingThanksgiving meal times can vary quite a bit. Some people prefer digging in around mid-day, while others like to eat later. While you can control the temperature in your home, the same is certainly not true when you’re outside. An option is to wait until the sun starts going down in order to enjoy the cooler evening. In that case, you’ll need to:

Use the right lighting

If you do plan to have an evening affair, you need to make sure your guests will be able to see each other (and what they’re eating). Your home probably has a floodlight or two, but these can be pretty harsh. A better idea is to use candles – the traditional ones or the flameless variety – or perhaps some decorative lanterns or string lights.

Fire up the grill

Since you’ll be eating outside, why not cook the main course out there too? If you don’t know by now, your grill can do much more than handle hotdogs and hamburgers, and this includes cooking a big turkey. In fact, if it’s large enough, you can use your grill for the entire Thanksgiving meal, desserts and all.

Have a contingency plan

While for the most part the weather this time of year is nice, there’s always the chance for Mother Nature to ruin your party. You should be prepared to head inside if necessary, and this means getting the dining room or other areas of your home in order. Having an easy-to-assembly canopy tent on hand may not be a bad idea either.

Control the bugs

Flying insects can be a problem at any time, but when there is food around, often they are worse. Plus, because some of them – like mosquitos – are attracted to heat, all of the people at your gathering could find themselves on the buggers’ own Thanksgiving menu. The solution to this is to have a misting system set up to keep annoying insects from wrecking the festivities.

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